Combined contact and terminal member for electric switches



July 21, 1953 H. M. COLE 2,646,485 COMBINED CONTACT AND TERMINAL MEMBER FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES Filed Feb. 8, 1950 IN V EN TOR. Hepbefit M. 0086 Patented July 21 1953 COMBINED CONTACT AND TERMINAL MEMBER FOR ELECTRIC SWITCHES Herbert M. Cole, Teaneck, N. J assignor to Federal Electric Products Company, Newark, N. J

a corporation Application February 8, 1950, Serial No. 143,121

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a combined electrical terminal and contact member which is well adapted for use in a switch of the type known as a pull-out switch.

One object of the invention is the provision of a combined terminal and contact member in which the terminal part of said member is constructed in such manner as to provide for an improved electrical and mechanical connection of the terminal end of a wire or cable therein.

Another object'is to provide a one-piece terminal and contact member in which the terminal part of said member has provision for the secure ceptacle provided with the combined terminal and contact members embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an end view thereof;

Fig, 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view along the line -5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the combined electrical terminal and contact member;

Fig. '7 is a side elevation view thereof.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the receptacle [0' is of the same general type as that shown in U. S. Patent No. 2,423,227 granted on July 1, 1947, to Thomas M. Cole. As shown in said patent a removable frame (not here shown) carrying the fuse and movable contact unit is removably seated on the front peripheral edge l2 of the receptacle constituting a cover therefor. Receptacle It, having side walls l4 and end walls I 6, is preferably molded in one piece of a suitable plastic, for example, Bakelite. The receptacle has a wall l8 offset inwardly from the front peripheral edge l2 in which are provided a plurality of pairs of openings or slots 20 and 22, and 24 and 26. The pair of openings 20 and 22, and 24 and 26 are in alignment longitudinally, and the pairs of openings are in alignment laterally of each other in laterally spaced relation, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Openings 2 and 22 are of the same construction and perform the same function as similar openings in the above mentioned patent. 7

Stationary contact member 28, which will hereinafter. be more particularly described, is integral with terminal 30 and is positioned on the rear side of wall I8 of the receptacle it, and is provided with an opening 32 which registers with companion openings 24 or 25. As explained in said Cole patent, the movable contact member of the switch enters in and releasably engages the companion stationary contact member in said opening 32. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the opposite edges 34 of the stationary contact member 28 are disposed inwardly of the adjacent edges of the openings 24 or 26 in the wall [8 of the receptacle IE3. Said stationary contact member is supported adjacent to and in abutting surface relation with the rear side of wall [3, one end 36 of which is receivable in a recess 38 formed in integral projection 40 on the rear side of wall 18. The other end and terminal of said stationary contact member is mounted on an outer platform 42 of receptacle I0. An aperture, 44 in end wall I6 permits the stationary contact to be inserted therethrough. The rear side of wall l8 also has integral guide and barrier walls 46 for positioning said stationary contact member so that its opposite edges 34 are disposed inwardly of the adjacent edges of the openings 24 or 25 of wall 18 (Fig. 5). Projection 4%) extends between ends of companion guide walls 46 which terminate at their opposite ends at the adjacent end wall is of the receptacle I0,

As shown in Fig. 3, the terminal 30 is mounted on the outer platform 42 of receptacle l0. Partitions 48 made of insulating material extend forwardly from the end wall l6 of receptacle it and separate the terminals 30. Outer end wall portions 53 are each provided with an opening 52 to receive a screw for securing the receptacle or housing l B in position.

The combined terminal and stationary contact is of integral construction providing the stationary contact member 28 and the terminal member 30 (Figs. 6 and 7). The stationary contact 28 has an opening 32 for receiving a movable contact when said movable contact is projected through the passages provided by the companion pair of openings 24 or 26. The terminal 30 has a pair of spaced, aligned openings 54 and 56 in the opposite side walls 53 and 55 of the terminal, a threaded opening 51 in the top for screw threaded 3 engagement by the clamping screw 58, and a threaded opening 59 in the bottom, reflexed or return bent portion 63 to register with aperture 6| in outer platform i2 and threadably engaging screw 53 (Fig. 4).

It is apparent that the combined contact and terminal embodying the present invention may be cut from fiat sheet metal stock and stamped, and tapped as required, and then bent to the desired shape, all by conventional machining operations.

When it is desired to mount the combined terminal and stationary contact the end 36 thereof is slid through aperture 54 and into recess 38 in integral projection 48. The guide walls 66 position said stationary contact for engagement by the movable contact. The other end including the terminal 31! is mounted on the outer platform ill of receptacle la and secured to the latter by means of screw 60 which is in alignment with the wire clamping screw 58 and directly holds the terminal itself firmly on the outer platform 42 and also secures the contact 28 in position. When screw 58 is clamped down upon the wire on cable terminal end G2 in the terminal 38, said terminal end is clamped against abutments E4 and E5 of terminal 39 formed by the lower edge portions of aligned openings 54 and 56, thereby firmly securing the end of the cable in terminal 3D. It will be noted that the abutments 64 and 66 are spaced from the inner surface of the return bent portion or bottom part 63 whereby to space the clamped terminal end of the cable or wire above said inner surface to provide clearance for the fastening I screw Bil.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention it will be understood that various changes may be made therein with departing from the underlying idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A combined switch contact and cable-terminal member for an electric switch having a housing, comprising a one-piece structure hav ing an elongated fiat switch contact part, provided with an opening extending therethrough to receive a companion movable contact of the switch, and a terminal part having one side wall bent up from said contact part at one end thereof, a top part, an opposite side wall bent down from said top part and a bottom part bent inwardly from the lower end of said opposite side wall and lying in the plane of said contact part forming a substantially rectangular member, said side walls having registering openings eX- tending therethrough to receive the terminal end of a cable or wire and said top part having a threaded opening, a clamping screw engaged in said threaded opening for clamping the terminal end of the cable against lower edges of said openings of said side walls, and said bottom wall having a screw-threaded opening for engagement by a screw for securing said com- 4 bined contact and terminal member in position in the switch housing.

2. In an electric switch having a receptacle provided with a wall having an opening therein, and another wall perpendicular to said first mentioned wall provided with at least one opening therein, a removable integral electrical terminal and elongatedly apertured stationary contact projecting through said opening of said first mentioned wall, and lying adjacent to the rear side or said other wall, the opposite edges of said aperture being disposed inwardly of said opening of the other wall a relatively small distance for receiving the complementary movable switch contact member, said electrical terminal having opposite upstanding sides with aligned openings for receiving a cable therethrough, a return bent portion longitudinally aligned with said stationary contact portion, means in said return bent portion for directly mounting said terminal portion adjacent to said first mentioned wall of said insulated receptacle, a clamping stud threaded into the top surface of said terminal portion for applying a force against said cable to secure said cable against the abutments formed by the bottom portions of said aligned openings.

3. A combined switch contact and cable-terminal member for an electric switch having a housing, comprising a one-piece structure having a flat switch contact part, provided with an opening to receive a companion movable contact of the switch, and a terminal part having one side wall bent up from said contact part at one end thereof, a top part, an opposite side wall bent down from said top part and a bottom part bent inwardly from the lower end of said opposite side wall and lying in the plane of said contact part forming a substantially rectangular member, said side walls having registering openings to receive the terminal end of a cable or wire and said top part having a threaded opening, a clamping screw engaged in said threaded opening for clamping the terminal end of the cable against edges of said openings of said side walls, and said bottom wall having a screw-threaded opening for engagement by a screw for securing said combined contact and terminal member in position in the switch housing, the cable-terminal engaging edges of said openings in the side walls being spaced from the inner surface of said bottom part whereby to space the terminal end of the cable away from said inner surface of the bottom part to provide clearance for the inner end of the fastening screw.

HERBERT M. COLE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,077,319 Guett Apr. 13, 1937 2,232,857 Jackson Feb. 25, 1941 2,539,628 Kingdon Jan. 30, 1951 

